Son of Rambow

Two boys remake Rambo film; learn to be friends

The unhinged fictional Vietnam vet John Rambo is the unlikely glue that binds two lonely English lads in the early 1980s. Lee (Will Poulter) is a rambunctious, unparented mess, while Will (Bill Milner) lives with his widowed mum in near-complete cultural isolation as a member of a religious sect. But a video camera and the thrill of staging grandiose adventures in woods inspired by bootleg screenings of First Blood become the vehicles by which the two learn about friendship, loyalty and the hazards of doing your own stunts. Garth Jennings' dramedy is a mix of keenly observed moments in the fraught, inarticulate lives of pre-adolescent boys intertwined with sillier and less successful window-dressing, such as a flamboyant French exchange student. Rambow never quite finds the whimsical bittersweet charms it hopes for, but it's good for a few wry smiles. Starts Fri., May 23. Squirrel Hill [capsule review]